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Friends of Longmont man killed in deputy-involved shooting shocked at his death

Christopher George remembered as kind, helpful, and confident

By Pierrette J. Shields Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
12/31/2013 03:24:30 PM MST

Updated:
12/31/2013 07:01:00 PM MST

Crime scene tape is seen surrounding a home, Monday, Dec. 30, 2013, at 8309 North 95th Street near Longmont. A Boulder County deputy on Sunday shot and killed a 43-year-old Christopher George in his home after he reportedly pulled a gun while two deputies were speaking with him.
(Matthew Jonas)

Friends of a man fatally shot in his Longmont-area home Sunday by a deputy who was checking on his welfare are grappling this week to make sense of the situation.

Christopher George died Sunday afternoon at Denver Health Medical Center, where he was taken after the shooting.

According to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, George's mother called the sheriff's office for help, reporting that her son had been holed up in his room for several days. When asked, she told them he did not have weapons.

Boulder County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Cmdr. Heidi Prentup said George had reportedly made "vaguely suicidal" statements. Deputies Brandon Bussard and Gary Robinson responded to the home at 8309 N. 95th St. and went to the room to speak with George. The sheriff's office reported Monday that George was sitting on the bed partially covered with blankets when he reached behind his back.

Christopher George in an undated photo featured on his personal Facebook page. A Boulder County deputy shot George in his Longmont area home on Dec. 29, 2013, after his mother called for help and reported he had been holed up in his room for several days. The sheriff's office reported he pointed a gun at deputies sent to check on him. Deputy Brandon Brussard shot him twice in the torso. George was airlifted to Denver Health Medical Center, where he succumbed to his wounds. He was 43.
(Facebook photo)

One of the deputies advanced on George to try to control his arm, but George reportedly pulled out a 9 mm handgun and pointed it at the deputies. The sheriff's office reported the deputies saw the gun, heard it being manipulated and "feared for their life."

Bussard fired three times, hitting George twice in the torso.

The scenario has left George's friends baffled.

Stephanie Hensley said he was her best friend

"He was always there to give me advice or just lend an ear to listen," she wrote in an email. "He wanted to start his own counseling website because he cared for people and wanted to give back. I don't understand why this happened. This has completely shocked me."

Machelle Lang of Albuquerque, N.M., said she and George have been friends since 1990 when they were students at Fort Lewis College. She said he occasionally had "bouts" where he would lose his way, but she never worried he would commit suicide. She heard from him on Christmas. He texted to her that he and his family were opening presents and having a great time. She said his dream was to travel and live in South America. On the interim, they were plotting a possible move to New Mexico, where she lives with her family.

Juanita Ward said she worked with George at IBM for four years and the two became close friends.

"I talked to him on Christmas Day. He gave no indication anything was wrong with his life," she said. "Never, never, never would anyone expect this. He has a lot of friends at IBM and everyone is just shocked."

She said he left the job a few months ago and wanted to become a math teacher.

Ward said George enjoyed hiking, loved animals, and was always helpful and supportive of his friends.

"He was really confident," she said. "He was just a great guy. He was positive all the time."

George shared photos of his hikes on his Facebook page and frequently took photos of animals. In some cases, he would respond to posts in Spanish.

Boulder County Deputy Gary Robinson
(
PAUL AIKEN
)

Ashley Lopez-Kulick also worked with him at IBM.

"He was always happy with a smile on his face," she wrote in an email exchange, adding that he was intelligent. "He would never hurt anyone. Let alone an officer. I am just confused why they shot to kill instead of detaining."

She said he was a very caring person and helped people out as much as possible. She recalled he would always serve as a designated driver for friends and offered her a place to stay when she needed one.

It is unlikely that details about what happened in George's room Sunday will be aired publicly until a full investigative report is presented to Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett in six to eight weeks.

Initial reports do not include any information about what, if anything, George said to the deputies or what they said to him during the encounter. The sheriff's office reported on Monday that further investigation of the gun George had revealed that the weapon was jammed.

Bussard is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which will be used to determine whether the deputy followed the sheriff's office's use-of-force policies and the law. Ward said she doubted the existence of the gun at all when she first heard about it.

"He wasn't a sad person at all," she said. "He was not a person who was troubled by drugs or alcohol at all."

George did not have a criminal record, according to a court records search.

His Facebook page noted he studied at Arizona State University and featured a few photos of him smiling alone or at gatherings with friends. He joined the social networking site in July and shared affirmative memes and offered positive words in his status updates.

"Was hiking Rabbit Mountain today with a couple of friends from work and feeling thankful for their friendship," he posted in August. "What a difference friends make in our lives, eh?"

A neighbor said Monday that George and his brother did a lot of the manual labor at his mother's home, which is just outside the city of Longmont in Boulder County.

"He was always right there to hold everybody up," Ward said.

According to his obituary, he served for four years in the U.S. Navy, earned a communications degree from Arizona State University, and a teaching certificate. He is survived by his mother, Dixie George, father, David George, a sister and two brothers.

A private memorial is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at his sister's Lafayette home. His family suggests memorial contributions to Families for Depression Awareness at familyaware.org. Arrangements are being handed by Carroll-Lewellen Funeral & Cremation Services.

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